House Democrat Jim Langevin (D-RI) published an opinion piece on Tuesday lambasting President Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan pullout.
Langevin, who serves as a senior member on the House Armed Services Committee, published his criticisms in a piece in Foreign Policy titled “I’m a Democrat Who Opposed the Withdrawal. This Catastrophe Is Why.” His words mark one of the most explicit criticisms aimed at President Biden from a member of his own party regarding the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“At minimum, the Biden administration owed our Afghan allies of 20 years a real plan. They also owed it to our military service members and their families, particularly the men and women in uniform and their families who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Not to mention the women and girls of Afghanistan who are now experiencing a devastating new reality,” Langevin states in the article. “While U.S. troops were protecting the homeland from another attack, they fought for human rights, stymied the Taliban’s repressive ideology that the vast majority of Afghans do not want, and prevented a humanitarian catastrophe. Had they remained longer, they also would have ensured a safe exit for interpreters, journalists, and activists, many of whom may never get out.”
Langevin, who assumed office in Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District in 2001, mentioned in the article that he, along with 10 other Members of Congress, wrote a letter to Biden outlining recommendations to improve stability in Afghanistan before the withdrawal. The letter went unanswered. He described this type of negligence as “par” for former President Trump’s administration, and admits he feels “disappointed” to see it currently.
Looking toward the future, Langevin warns that the United States could drastically lose influence in Afghanistan to China and Russia and is aware that the revival of terrorist organizations could be on the horizon. “If extremist groups like al Qaeda are reconstituting or committing atrocities, we are returning to Afghanistan,” Langevin states in the article.“The Taliban offered a safe haven to extremist groups in the past. With the Taliban having taken Kabul, it is only a matter of time before Afghanistan turns into another extremist haven.”
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Needless to say, Langevin is one longtime Democratic lawmaker unimpressed with Biden’s handling of Afghanistan. Perhaps other Dems will follow suit. “The consequences of our decision to abandon Afghanistan are now on full display for the world to see,” he said in the article. “It didn’t have to be this way.”
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